Multiple masking attachment for photo easel

ABSTRACT

AN ATTACHMENT FOR A PHOTO EASEL, THE DEVICE COMPRISING A UNIT INCORPORATING A PLURALITY OF DIFFERENT SIZED WINDOWS SO THAT THE DEVICE MAY BE USED AS A MASKING ATTACHMENT FOR EXPOSING ONLY PRESELECTED CONFINED PORTIONS OF A SHEET OF PHOTOGRAPHIC PAPER FOR PRINTING PHOTOGRAPHIC REPRODUCTIONS.

June 6, 1972 L. w. PITTMAN MUL'IIL'LE MASKING ATTACHMENT FOR PHOTO l'IASEL Filed April 8, 1970 Patented June 6, 1972 MULTIPLE MASKING ATTACHMENT FOR Y PHOTO EASEL Loyd W. Pittman, St. Louis, Mo., by Ruth Pittman, surviving spouse and heir of said Pittman, deceased Filed Apr. 8, 1970, Ser. No. 26,663

Int. Cl. G03]: 27/58 Us. Cl. ass-'44 .8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE An attachment for a photo easel, thedevice comprising a unit incorporating a plurality of different sized windows so that the device may be used as a masking attachment for exposing only preselected confined portions of a sheet of photographic paper for printing photographic reproductions. I

i This invention relates generally to photographic material. More specifically this invention relates to masking attachments for printing photographic reproductions, including enlargements, from filmnegatives.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a multiple masking attachment for use with a simple easel, such as is used in most photographic dark rooms, and which converts an easel so to enable it to make different sizes of pictures upon a single photographic paper without the necessity of cutting the paper.

Another object of this invention is to provide a multiple masking attachment wherein the final pictures thus formed may be relatively large, small or of any intermediate size.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a multiple masking attachment for a conventional photo case], which attachment is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged in construction, easy to use and efficient in operation.

These and other objects will be readily evident upon a study of the following specification together with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the present invention shown in an operative, opened position, and showing an alternate operative position in broken lines, and

FIG. 2 is a similar view of the attachment shown in a folded position for storage purpose.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the reference numeral represents a multiple masking attachment for use with a photo easel 19 of a conventional type (that has been sold to and used by professional and amateur photographers for many years under the trademark Speed EZ-EL and is well 'known in the trade). Such an easel 19 is shown in broken lines in FIG. 2 and has a main body section 20 with supporting leg flanges 21 extending along opposite ends. The body section 20 has an upper surface 22 to receive and support an uncut sheet of printing paper 23 or the like upon which photographic reproductions are to be made, and the body section 20 is sized to retain such paper 23 within slots defined by re-entrant side flanges 24 extending along opposed side margins 25 of the body. Upstanding flanges 26 extend along each end in spaced relation with the upper surface 22 to form end slots 27. As is well known and obvious to those skilled in the photographic art, the conventional easel 19 is adapted to receive a piece of photographic paper 23 or the like through one of the end slots 27 to rest on the upper surface 22 and be retained in place by the side flanges 24.

According to the present invention, the attachment 10 comprises a main body 11 having opposed side margins 11a and opposed end margins 11b, the latter being adapted to be positioned between the easel flanges 27 to properly align the attachment 10 with the easel 19, as shown in FIG. '1. The attachment body 11 has an upper side 12 in which a plurality of contiguous window openings 13, 13a and 13b of different sizes are formed by means of selectively closeable covering flaps 14 and 14a.

The device may be used as a masking unit so as to selectively expose only certain of the windows so that a selected portion of a larger photographic paper may be exposed to. a photographic film negative. It will be readily apparent that flaps 14 and 14a are closed (flap 14 being shownclo'sed in broken lines in FIG. 1), thecut-out portion 140 of flap 14 defines the smallest window opening 13. When flap 14 is opened (illustrated in full lines), the contiguous window area 13a is added to window 13 for exposure. When flap 14a is opened in the same manner, the

window area 13b is again added to form the largest window opening. By way of example, if the easel 19 is sized for an 8" x10" sheet of photographic paper, the window opening 13 may be sized to make 2 /2" x 3 /2" prints (wallet size) and, obviously, four sequential prints may be:

i made on each half of the 8" x 10" paper without moving the easel 19 and attachment 10. The window area 13, 13a may be sized to print 4" x 5" pictures and the large window area 13, 13a and 13b may print two 5" x 7" pictures.

A plurality of paper stop buttons 16, 16a and 16b may be incorporated into the structure, the stop buttons being located, if preferred, along one side margin 11a of the masking attachment 10, although in a modified construction thereof, the stop buttons 16, 16a and 16b may be positioned adjacent to the center of the masking attachment 10 as illustrated in FIG. 1, it being understood that both forms of construction are incorporated in the present. It will be readily apparent that the stop buttons 16, 16a and 16b are spaced apart lengthwise at substantially quarterly intervals, and each button is carried on a yieldable spring plate or the like to normally be biased away from the upper side 12, as shown in FIG. 1, to prevent interference with the free sliding movement of the paper 23 into or through the easel 19. It is clear that the buttons 16, 16a and 16b are utilized by being selectively depressed to protrude through the masking attachment to engage the leading edge 23a of the paper 23 and position it at quarterly of halfway intervals for exposure through the associated window openings (the paper 23 being shown at the halfway point after engagement with stop button 16a in FIG. 1).

The device 10 further incorporates a panel 15 which is hingedly attached along one end margin 11b so that the panel 15 may be brought into a position substantially perpendicular to the masking body 11 to form a light shield between the window areas 13, 13b, and and the unexposed portion of the photographic paper 23 as shown in FIG. 1, or folded into an adjacent and parallel position 011 the upper side thereof, as shown in FIG. 2.

A pair of triangular gussets 18 are connected to opposite side edges 17 of the panel 15, the gussets 18 each being accordian pleated so that the same will neatly tuck between the panel 15 and mask body 11 as shown in FIG. 2.

Thus there is provided a multiple masking attachment which speeds up the production of a series of small prints without requiring re-orientation of the easel 19 relative to the enlarger or like photographic processing equipment.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with an easel for use with photographic reproduction equipment, a multiple masking attachment comprising a main body member adapted to be aligned with said easel, a plurality of contiguous opening 3 areas in said body'mernber, p v 7 I said opening areas to define a plurality of predetermined window sizes adapted for orientation with and exposure to photographic reproduction equipment, and other means for sequentially advancing an unexposed photographic paper under a pre-selected window size for producing a series of exposures without re-orientation of said easel and masking attachment, said other means comprising atleast one. stop member positioned longitudinally intermediate of the ends of said body member and being movable to form a paper engaging abutment for orienting thefunexposed paper in a first position relative to one of said window sizes.

2. The combination according to claim' 1, in which said means 'forselectively closing said opening areas comprises at least one flap member hingedly connected to said body member and'having a cut-out portion which in the closed position of said flap member defines a first window size and in the open position of said a larger window size.

3. The combination according to claim 1, inwhicli said means for selectively closingsaid opening areas comprises at least two flap members hin'gedly connected to flap member defines means for selectively closing Z1 said body member and adapted, in different open and closed positions thereof, to form at least three diflFerent window sizes. j

4. The combination according to claim '1, in which said other means comprise a plurality of stop members in predetermined longitudinally spaced relation intermediate the ends of said body member and being selectively movable to form paper engaging abutments for selective paper orientation in diiferent positions relative to said window areas.

im tw 99nbimfi99994i3 t9 cl mvltin hich d. 'stop member 'isyieldably mounted on said Body member and normally biased away from paper engaging abutment. 6. The combination according to claim 1, in which said masking attachment includes a panel member connected-to saidfibody member atone endthereof and extending substantiallyperpendicular,thereto in operative position. v 1 a n I 7. The combination-according to claim: 6,-in vwhich said panel memberis hihgedly connected to said body member and is movable'between a folded inoperative position and said operative position. 8. The combination according to claim 6, in which said panel member extends from said body member adjacent to said window areas andforims'alight shield to prevent premature exposure of said photographic paper.

ReferencesQCited I: 'j'jj UNITED STATESVIPATENTS 2,895,377 7/1959 -M'anning'l 355"5'4 3,230,823 1/ 1966 Krassopoulos 355 -54 3,280,694 10/1966 Buechner 355-54 3,290,990 12/1966 Garlick 355- 54 2,803,164 8/1957 Lehv L 355- 64 snMUEt s. MATTHEWS,-Primary Examiner R. 'WINTERCORN, Assistant Examiner v U.S. c1. X.R. 

